Worldwide Candle Lighting 2026: How to Take Part From Home

The Worldwide Candle Lighting takes place on Sunday, December 13, 2026. At 7 PM local time, families light a candle for one hour to remember a child, a brother or sister, or a grandchild who died too young. Because everyone lights at 7 PM in their own time zone, the candles move around the world like a 24-hour wave of light.

You do not need to go anywhere to take part. Most people light their candle at home, in a window or at the kitchen table. Here is what the day is, how to take part from home, and a few words you can say when you light the candle.

What the Worldwide Candle Lighting is

The Worldwide Candle Lighting was started by The Compassionate Friends, an organization for families after the death of a child. It began in the United States in 1997 as a small online observance, and they describe it today as believed to be the largest mass candle lighting on the globe. It is held every year on the second Sunday of December.

The idea is simple. At 7 PM, wherever you are, you light a candle and let it burn for an hour. As 7 PM reaches each time zone, new candles are lit, so for a full day there is always someone, somewhere, holding a light for the same reason you are.

The day was created for parents, siblings and grandparents. If you are grieving someone else, a parent, a partner or a friend, you can still light a candle at 7 PM in your own home. The hour is there for anyone who wants to remember.

Worldwide Candle Lighting 2026: date and time

• Date: Sunday, December 13, 2026, the 30th annual Worldwide Candle Lighting.
• Time: 7 PM in your own time zone, for one hour.
• Where: at home, or at a local event if there is one near you.

The Compassionate Friends also plans online programs for the Eastern, Central, Mountain and Pacific time zones, and a Memorial Wall where families can post a message about their loved one from December 1 to December 18. You can find both, and local events, on The Compassionate Friends' Worldwide Candle Lighting page.

How to take part from home

• Choose the place. A windowsill is a lovely spot, because the light can be seen from outside, as if it is joining the others. A table with their photo works just as well.
• Choose the candle. A tea light is enough. It burns for about the hour, which is exactly the time you need. If you have young children at home, a battery tea light is a safe choice.
• Set a small reminder. 7 PM on a Sunday in December can arrive in the middle of dinner or bath time. A phone alarm at 6:55 gives you a moment to gather.
• Light it together, or alone. Some families gather around the table and each person says the name. Others light the candle quietly and go on with the evening, glancing at it now and then. Both are right.
• Include the people who are far away. If grandparents, aunts or siblings live in other cities, agree on the time and send a photo of each candle afterward. Each home lights at its own 7 PM, which is the whole idea of the wave.
• Let it burn the hour. You do not need to sit with it the whole time. Let it keep the hour for you.

Words to say when you light the candle

You do not need a speech. Saying their name is enough. If you would like a few words, here are some you can use or change:

• "For you, tonight and every night. We still say your name."
• "This light is for the years you should have had."
• "We are not the only ones holding a candle tonight. Neither are you."
• "For our brother, who should be here."
• "For our little one. You are part of this family, always."

For more ideas on when and how to light a candle for someone during the year, see our guide to lighting a remembrance candle.

Ways to make the hour your own

• Write a short note. One memory, one thing you wish you could tell them. Keep it with their photo, or post it on the Memorial Wall.
• Play their song. One song while the candle is lit can say more than words.
• Cook something they loved. Dinner on a Sunday in December can carry their favorite dish.
• Let the children help. Children can choose where the candle goes, draw a picture to place beside it, or blow it out at the end of the hour.
• Keep the candle out. Some families light the same candle again on birthdays and anniversaries, so the December hour becomes part of the year.

If you lost a brother or sister, our piece on losing a sibling was written for the grief that so often goes unseen. And if this is the first holiday season without them, your first Christmas without them may help with the weeks around it.

A candle holder that also opens a memorial

We made the memorial candle holder for evenings like this one. It is a handmade cement piece, about 5 x 2.5 x 1.2 in, that holds a tea light. It does not hold ashes.

Under the engraved feather there is an NFC tag. When you rest your phone on the feather, it opens a shared online memorial, where family and friends can add photos and stories. It works with iPhone XS or newer and most Android phones with NFC turned on.

For families in different homes, choose a Set of 2 or a Set of 3: every piece opens the same memorial, so each home can light its own candle on December 13 and add to one shared place.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the Worldwide Candle Lighting in 2026?

Sunday, December 13, 2026. It is held every year on the second Sunday of December.

What time do you light the candle?

At 7 PM in your own time zone, for one hour. Because each time zone lights at its own 7 PM, the candles form a wave of light around the world over 24 hours.

Who is the Worldwide Candle Lighting for?

It was created by The Compassionate Friends for families who have lost a child, a brother or sister, or a grandchild. Anyone who wants to remember someone can light a candle at home that evening.

Do I have to go to an event?

No. Most people take part at home. If you would like to be with others, The Compassionate Friends lists local events and online programs on their website.

What kind of candle should I use?

A simple tea light is enough, since it burns for about an hour. With small children or pets at home, a battery tea light is a safe alternative.

What can I say when I light the candle?

Their name is enough. You can also share one memory, read a short poem, or say a line such as "We still say your name."

With love,
Virginia
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